St. Patrick's Day turns Ottawa green with celebrations and traditions

The luck of the Irish was celebrated in Ottawa on Friday as pubs opened early and filled up quickly. 

Mike Denis lined up just before 8:30 am to get in line at the Heart and Crown Irish Pub in the ByWard Market. The pub opened its doors at 9 a.m.

Denis was joined by a group of friends that have spend St Patrick’s Day together for nearly two decades.

“My mom was Irish, but for us it has been 20-plus years since we have been coming we love to get together," Denis said. “We skipped the pandemic but as soon as we were able to come back we did.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, St. Patrick’s Day events were among the first to be cancelled in March of 2020.  Three years later there are no restrictions and parties are back in full swing. 

The Heart and Crown says they purchased nearly 100 kegs for their four locations across the city in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day and they expected to sell nearly 2,500 pints. 

The Irish Society of Ottawa says this year where many events are trying to restart. This year, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the capital was cancelled because there were not enough event volunteers to make it happen. 

“This is a bit of a buffer year for all of us," said Tracey Dixon of the Irish Society of Ottawa. "We had to cancel the parade, but hopefully we will be back next year.” 

Dixon says this is a day for celebration, but also a day to look back on how the Irish have contributed to the capital.

“This is year to reflect on what the Irish have done for the city of Ottawa and canada a whole.” 

“We are ecstatic (today), when we look around the city and we see just how much the Irish have put into this city. You look at the buildings, you look at the canal and how we are embedded in this city. It is just so important and that’s the time to celebrate as a family and as a community.”